Transcript Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy – An Overview

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ministère des Affaires municipales et du Logement
Long-Term Affordable Housing
Strategy
Presentation for Northwestern
Ontario Municipal Association
Meeting
April 28, 2011
Context
▪
In its platform document, Moving Forward Together, 2007, the
government committed to “create a long- term strategy for affordable
housing.”
▪
Consultations on the development of a strategy
 13 public consultation sessions held across the province
 7 specialized roundtables with municipal partners and key
stakeholders
▪
Technical working groups with municipal partners and key stakeholders
that developed detailed policy recommendations
▪
November 29, 2010 – Launch of the Long-Term Affordable Housing
Strategy and introduction of Bill 140, Strong Communities through
Affordable Housing Act, 2010
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Continued Commitment to Affordable
Housing
Since 2003/2004:
▪
More than $2.5 billion invested to build and repair over 200,000 units of affordable and social
housing
▪
More than 35,000 rent supplements to help low-income Ontarians pay their rent – this includes
a $50 million Short-Term Rent Support Program
▪
Infrastructure Ontario’s loan program has saved non-profit and co-operative housing providers
$13 million to date
▪
In addition, Ontario provides approximately $430 million in annual operating funding for
housing and homelessness services. These ongoing funds support programs and services such
as:
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Emergency hostels for Ontarians who need immediate shelter
Services to assist those who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness
Supportive housing, which provides additional assistance for people in need
The Provincial Rent Bank, which has helped more than 23,800 people stay in their homes
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Vision and Principles of Strategy
Vision:
To improve Ontarians’ access to adequate, suitable and affordable
housing, and provide a solid foundation on which to secure employment,
raise families and build strong communities.
Principles:
- People-Centred
- Partnership-Based
- Locally Driven
- Supportive
- Inclusive
- Fiscally responsible
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Key Elements of the Strategy
1.
Roles, Local Plans and Accountability
2.
Program Consolidation
3.
Proposed Strong Communities through Affordable Housing Act, 2010

Housing Services Act, 2010

Amendments to the Planning Act

Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
4.
Engage federal government
5.
Promote energy efficiency in the sector
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Establishing Clear Roles
New proposed legislation would establish clear roles and responsibilities and define a new partnership
between the province and municipalities:
▪
Province as System Steward
 Set overall vision and provincial interests for housing in Ontario
 Set the legislative and policy framework
 Identify common desired outcomes and report on their achievement
 Assist in achievement of desired outcomes through broad, outcome-based (consolidated) program
funding
 Engage with the federal government to establish national directions and negotiate federal
contributions
▪
Municipalities as System Service Managers
 Set local vision for housing, reflecting the provincial interest
 Provide local leadership in research and analysis of local housing and homelessness systems
 Develop and implement strategies to address housing need and to produce desired housing
outcomes
 Contribute to and coordinate housing funding
 Administer housing and homelessness programs, coordinating with other programs and services
 Report on progress in addressing needs/producing outcomes
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Local Housing and Homelessness Plans
▪
Province would identify provincial interests in housing through a Housing Policy
Statement
▪
Proposed new legislation, if passed would require Service Managers to undertake
comprehensive local planning for housing and homelessness, identifying needs and
establishing priorities
 10 year planning horizon, renewed at least every five years
 Province would have the opportunity to comment on plans before they are
finalized
 Plans are approved by Service Managers
 Implementation: first plans would be due one year after legislation enacted –
target end of 2012
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Performance Measures and Reporting
▪
Four common measures of progress:
• Ontario Housing Measure (existing measure)
• Rental Affordability Index (existing measure)
• Service Manager metrics along the housing continuum (new measure)
• Social Housing Tenant Satisfaction Survey (new measure)
▪
Service Managers would be required to report (locally) annually on progress in
housing, including on provincially-established metrics, as well as other metrics
that reflect local priorities/needs
▪
Province reports annually on provincial outcomes and progress
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Program Consolidation
▪
Today, there are more than 20 provincial housing and homelessness programs in
Ontario
▪
Province will consolidate the current patchwork of provincial housing programs
▪
First phase of consolidation will begin with five homelessness-related programs:
 Consolidated Homelessness Prevention Program
 Emergency Energy Fund
 Emergency Hostels
 Domiciliary Hostels
 Rent Bank
▪
Program consolidation will allow municipalities to use funding in a more flexible
manner, reflective of local need
▪
The province and Service Managers to explore future phases of program
consolidation and/or harmonization
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Housing Services Act, 2010
▪
The current Social Housing Reform Act (SHRA) does not provide an overarching
enabling framework for affordable and social housing – limited to social housing
▪
The
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Would replace/reform the Social Housing Reform Act, 2000, including reforms to:
 Ministerial Consents
 RGI Calculation
 Waiting List
 Asset-Creation
 Social Housing Review Process
proposed Housing Services Act, 2010 would:
Provide for a provincial role
Set out a high level provincial interest
Clarify the Service Manager role
Provide for effective delivery of community-based programs
Require municipalities to develop local housing and homelessness plans
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Housing Services Act, 2010
Ministerial Consents
▪ Currently:
 Service Managers must seek provincial approval for a range of social housing decisions - consent
requirements are considered cumbersome
 Requirement does not reflect Service Manager experience and expertise
▪
Proposed legislation:
 Would grant or confer authority for many Consent approvals on Service Managers, enabling Service
Managers to be the decision-makers. The only exceptions would be the requirement for a Ministerial
Consent to the proposed sale of social housing projects and the decision by providers to opt out of the
renamed Housing Services Corporation’s programs for the bulk purchasing of utilities and insurance to
ensure the sustainability of these value-added services to Service Managers.
 Province would retain through regulation the authority to re-instate the requirement for consents for
specific actions
RGI Calculation
▪ Currently:

Process is overly complex (recalculating rent every time income changes),
 Administrative burden for tenants, providers and Service Managers
▪
Proposed legislation:
 New regulations would create a simplified, annual calculation, potentially reducing or streamlining more
than 60 income and asset exclusions
 Move toward an income-tax based system for determining income and establishing rent
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Housing Services Act, 2010
Waiting Lists
▪ Currently:
 Social housing tenants have minimal involvement in the selection process for social
housing units, due to a cumbersome, paper-driven process
 Applicants cannot transfer from one Service Manager wait list to another
▪
Proposed legislation:
 Would include provisions to clarify flexibility for Service Managers to adopt alternatives
to the current chronologically-based system
 Would facilitate tenant transfers across wait lists or across Service Manager areas
Asset-Creation for Social Housing Tenants
▪ Currently:
 RGI tenants face a disincentive to employment and education, as any additional income
is clawed back through a corresponding increase in rents
▪
Proposed legislation:
 Service Managers would have the ability to administer asset-creation programs
 MMAH will work with some Service Managers to launch pilot programs which will be used
to evaluate the results prior to considering broader implementation
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Housing Services Act, 2010
Social Housing Review Process
▪
Currently:
 The review process regarding social housing eligibility and rent-geared-to-income (RGI) calculation decisions
for tenants is criticized as not being transparent and not arms length
 No formal avenue for housing providers to challenge Service Manager decisions
▪
Proposed legislation:
 Would require Service Managers to establish a new review process for specific types of Service Manager
decisions affecting social housing tenants and providers (e.g. tenant eligibility for RGI, decrease in subsidy
for housing provider), ensuring more fairness in the system
Non-Profit Governance
▪
Currently:
 Some non-profit and co-op housing providers face financial difficulties
 Service Managers currently have the ability to move quickly to receivership as a remedy without exercising a
range of progressive steps to assist boards
▪
Proposed legislation:
 Would provide housing providers with procedural fairness and foster a collaborative resolution of disputes. A
new multi-step process would afford housing providers with an opportunity to rectify operational problems
and an opportunity to make a submission to the Service Manager on the Service Manager's proposed exercise
of a remedy before the Service Manager makes a decision on whether to exercise the remedy.
 Would require housing providers to develop Board and staff renewal plans
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Amendments to the Planning Act
Second Units
Currently:
▪ Municipalities can choose (but are not required) to establish second unit policies for singles,
semi and row houses
Proposed amendments would:
▪ Require municipalities to establish policies allowing second units in new and existing
developments
▪ Expand affordable housing opportunities for lower and moderate income households, for
elderly parents or live-in caregivers and provide additional income for homeowners
Other Planning Initiatives
▪ Proposal to extend timeline that garden suites can be initially permitted
▪ Add a reference to “affordable housing” in matters of provincial interest
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Amendments to the
Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
Currently:
▪ Generally, the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in Ontario is operating well to resolve disputes
between landlords and tenants
▪ However, some process issues are impeding effective and efficient management of disputes
Proposed amendments would:
▪ Give the LTB the responsibility to issue notices of hearings, rather than the applicants
▪ Allow certain non-contentious adjudicative duties to be carried out by LTB staff rather than
LTB members
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Promote Energy Efficiency
Currently:
▪ Rising energy costs and outdated social housing buildings are key cost factors in
operating and managing the social housing portfolio
▪
In addition, there is very little research on energy efficiency in multi-residential
buildings, resulting in limited incentive to implement efficiency measures
Under the strategy:
▪ Ministry staff will work with Infrastructure Ontario (IO) to promote a Green Energy
Loan Initiative for social housing providers
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The Ministry will also undertake research on energy efficiency in multi-residential
buildings, coordinating with any research being undertaken under the Green
Energy Act
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Long-Term Federal Commitment
▪
Federal Funding to Ontario
Municipalities will decrease by
$166.2 million over the next 10
years, declining to $0 by 2033
▪
It is proposed that Ontario, in
collaboration with other provinces
and territories, engage the federal
government to create a housing
framework for Canada, including
stable long-term funding.
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Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy
Pillars
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Putting people first
▪ Creating strong partnerships
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Supporting affordable options
▪
Accountability
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Bringing Partners Together
“This government has extended trust to the housing sector by bringing all
of the parties to the table and all of the sectors. The consultation was
thorough, they engaged their partners and they listened. And I think
they’ve created a foundation upon which we can all move forward.”
-Janet Menard, Commissioner, Human Services, Regional Municipality of
Peel
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Improving Client Services
“The government is on the right track with this. I think it’s
wonderful.”
-Pat – a senior living in a home built through the CanadaOntario Affordable Housing Program in St. Thomas Ontario
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Improving Rent-Geared to Income
“My dream is homeownership. With this change to the way rent is
calculated, it will make it that much easier to do so I know there are lots of
people who need to live in a place like this. If I can move out and give
someone else the opportunity that I have had by living in a co-op on rentgeared-to-income, that would be fantastic. “
- Mary-Anne, single mother living in Alymer, Ontario
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Legislative Process
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Bill introduced on November 29, 2010
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Second reading
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Standing Committee on Justice Policy:
 Public Hearing Dates: Thursday March 24 and Thursday, March 31
 Clause-by-clause review
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Third reading
▪
Timing
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Ongoing Work
▪
Building on the process established last summer, the province will continue to work with Service
Managers and housing stakeholders on implementation

Regulation development, including:
• RGI calculation
• Waiting lists
• Asset building
• Information and reporting

Program consolidation
• Phase 1 targeted for 2013

Provincial housing statement/local planning and reporting
• Consultation and development of provincial Housing Statement
• Development of regulations for developing and reporting on local plans

Performance measures
• Province will work with stakeholders to development additional performance measures:
– Service Manger metrics along the housing continuum
– Social Housing Tenant Satisfaction Survey
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Summary
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Province is committed to improving Ontarians’ access to adequate,
suitable and affordable housing
▪
The Strategy proposes to put people first, create strong partnerships,
support affordable options and strengthen accountability
▪
The Strategy reflects the province’s government-to-government
approach to municipalities
▪
We will continue to work in partnership as we move forward with
implementation
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Thank you
▪
Questions?
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For more information visit: Ontario.ca/HousingStrategy
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Or email: [email protected]
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